Nadiem Makarim Invokes Tom Lembong's Name During Defence Plea

The Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology for the 2019–2024 period, Nadiem Anwar Makarim, referenced the legal case involving Tom Lembong while delivering his plea in court. According to Nadiem, the case against the 2015–2016 Minister of Trade, Thomas Trikasih Lembong, regarding sugar import corruption, is part of a series of criminalisation cases.

“The train of criminalisation began long before me. Mr Tom, Mrs Ira, Amsar, Ibam, and dozens of others who have not been released to this day,” Nadiem stated during the hearing at the Corruption Court of the Central Jakarta District Court on Tuesday.

In doing so, Nadiem asserted that the ‘uproar’ outside the courtroom did not originate with his own case involving alleged corruption in the Chromebook procurement. Nadiem noted that news of various irregular cases in Indonesia has gained international attention. He admitted he had never seen so many anti-corruption activists simultaneously sounding a loud alarm for Indonesia’s law enforcement agencies as they are doing now.

Consequently, he expressed his belief that he was called to deliver his defence not merely as a victim, but as a witness to what is happening to too many good people in Indonesia.